In a world of online interactions and digital conversations, it's easy to get lost behind a computer. And while this has become common place and many companies are satisfied to operate in this way, you can take your company to another level by incorporating a personal touch in your online strategy.

I saw a cartoon online recently that made me laugh, mostly because it was true. In the first frame, which was supposed to be in the past, the person is annoyed at all the "snail" mail they receive but are ecstatic about receiving an email notification. In the second frame, which is supposed to be the present, the person is annoyed at all the emails they receive but excited about the envelopes in their mail.

So, while I realize that email marketing is not dead, and I love the power of social media, it is true that many of us get desensitized and overwhelmed by all the information we find online. I think it's safe to say that most of us barely read half the posts in our news feeds anymore. We scroll until we find something interesting. We delete half of our emails without even clicking on them to open them.

I am by no means saying that you shouldn't continue to post on Facebook, Twitter, or all the other sites. I still believe that this is imperative to your social media strategy.

But I also believe that there are other ways for us to take our strategies even further to connect with our audience. And this is to get personal.

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you likely saw the prize that I received from winning a Barilla Pasta contest recently. While the prize pack itself was pretty awesome (I have lots of new pasta to indulge myself with!), they took it to a whole new level by including a hand-written note!

Obviously, this was an unexpected addition to my prize pack. And, not only was it a hand-written note, but it was personalized with reference to the entry I had submitted for the contest.

The thing is that in reality, it probably took them about 5 minutes to write up this note. But it made a world of difference to a loyal customer like me. There are brands that won't respond to me at all on any social media site, and yet this company can take a couple minutes to write a personalized thank you note. Yes, you can bet I will continue to be a loyal customer.

And, not to mention, I have told a lot of people about Barilla Pasta, from not only the initial Instagram contest but also from their response. That's a lot of free advertising for them!

Think about how this can serve you and your business. Taking a little time to make an extra personal interaction with your audience can benefit you many times over.

Before you go thinking I'm telling you to send everyone a hand-written note, there are plenty of ways in which you add personal touches. And they don't need to cost you anything, or a minimal financial investment at best.

• Pick up the phone and talk to someone in person, instead of via email
• Organize a skype conversation for your next meeting, letting your clients "see" you
• Send a card or even a gift (cake or floral arrangement for example) to a client who just reached a milestone
• Include a hand written thank you note with products shipped out to new customers
• Recognize your most engaged fans, or a fan of the month, on your social media sites with a post dedicated to them

And, realize that you don't have to do this with every one of your fans or customers. Doing one thing a month to reach out to a valuable contact, client, or fan can do wonders in growing your online interactions (and marketing). When people know you're going above and beyond for others, they'll want to work with you too.

Do you have any tips or suggestions on how you personalize your interactions? Let's keep the conversation going in the comments below!